cked
close together. Another tripped them into a heap.

CHAPTER XXI

ESCAPED PRISONERS

When Jimmie's toe prodded the Kaiser's horse in the ribs, that animal
gave a mighty spring and bounded from his position. Usually a
tractable, though mettlesome beast, the horse was greatly surprised at
the treatment he was receiving, and it is not surprising that he made
every effort to escape the punishment.

At the first movement of his comrade, Dave had urged his own horse
forward in the expectation that Jimmie would attempt escape.

So swiftly had the movement been executed by Jimmie that none of the
officers near by had been able to intercept the flight of the three.

Before the Kaiser could check the mad rush of his mount and bring the
noble animal to a quivering stop, considerable distance had been
covered. Jimmie rode on the Kaiser's right Hank, his own horse's
shoulder close to the other's saddle. Dave followed immediately behind
Jimmie so close that when the halt was made he fairly crowded Jimmie
beside the Kaiser. He was still mystified when they stopped.

With a face livid with wrath at the treatment, the Kaiser turned toward
Jimmie. The next instant he began a forceful speech. It was never
delivered. Jimmie slipped from his horse and began to drag the other
from his mount. He was too excited for coherent speech.

"Young man--," began the other in a severe tone.

"Shut up!" stormed Jimmie. "Get off your horse, quick! It's coming!"

As he spoke, the boy, looking earnestly into the face of the man he had
pursued, pointed toward the French lines and in the direction of the
spot where the hasty flight had begun.

Dave glanced back to see a knot of officers and Uhlans closely packed
about the very spot where the three had stood a moment before. As he
looked he shivered slightly. A huge black object was hurtling through
the air. It landed in the center of the group, bearing down with a
shriek of agony a horse and its rider.

Instinctively Jimmie and Dave had thrown their arms up to cover their
faces. By this means they had protected themselves in a degree from
the force of the flying scraps of earth that stormed upon them like
hail. They were covered with dirt to a woeful degree.

As the rain of dirt ceased Jimmie looked up at the man he had tried so
hard to rescue. His face bore a look of solicitude.

"I tried to get you out of there," he said. "I saw it coming."

"A pretty story!" st